Senate Calls Evening Session in Push to Break Budget Standstill

The California State Senate is scheduled to meet Wednesday night at 6 p.m. to try to break a month-old budget stalemate. Marianne Russ reports from Sacramento.

Democratic Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata has called all 40 members back to Sacramento for an evening session. His staff says he's “hopeful for a bipartisan vote on the budget.”

However, some Republican staffers say that may be optimistic -- noting the session caught them by surprise. GOP Senators have been the holdouts, insisting the state's deficit be cut to zero.

The budget passed by the Assembly two weeks ago spends $700 million more than it takes in. Republicans have also asked for changes to a law passed decades ago to keep local development from harming the environment.

Without a spending plan, California has been unable to pay some bills -- child care centers, community colleges and hospitals are among those affected.

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